Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When growing up I remember such youthful optimism around me from everyone when we always talked about the future. I’m reminded of this when I see in the gallery today so many young people here. I remember hearing from people about where they wanted to go, what they wanted to see, and certainly we always heard about what they wanted to be. However, I can never recall anyone ever telling me, or anyone, for that matter, that they wanted to be homeless. That’s why today I want to recognize and certainly give great credit to the work being done by the Yellowknife...

Madam Chair, I move that we report progress.

---Carried

If I could just get some clarity on what internal planning dollars for Sissons actually means and the size. Actually, let me rephrase the question. Will a planning study be done? I guess all that really matters is this: Will a planning study be done in this particular fiscal year, 2012-2013? Will that be done in a way to identify the work that needs to be done to retrofit Sissons School? Thank you.

Now, on that note, when we house one offender in a particular facility, what would it cost per day to house that particular offender per day in our facility? In other words, we would have to have security, somebody at the gate, somebody at the door, somebody to cook, somebody to clean. We would have to have the full costing of that particular facility, because we can’t run them empty. That said, would the department be able to provide that detail?

Thank you, Madam Chair. On a separate issue, I think I heard the Minister say that there was one female inmate at this particular time within the custody services under the GNWT. Does the department have an estimate as to what one inmate costs the system in the context of full costing? At the same time I’d like to know to what Nunavut would pay the Northwest Territories for us to house one inmate in our facility. If I could get that breakdown between the two numbers.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise to support my colleagues in this particular motion. I understand very well, and in some respects I acknowledge the need for a conservative agenda where it is a law and order type of government.

There are issues of crime that need to be tackled, and tackled harder, but it’s very difficult out there who believes on a typical process, everyday process, that more jail time, longer jail time really solves the root causes of crime. Very few people would argue that particular situation.

I agree with colleagues that have said serious crime needs to be addressed differently...

Maybe the Minister could explain to the House how Nats’ejee K’eh treats people who have pill problems, who have crack problems, who have meth problems under the present, or I should say under the current design and focus that Nats’ejee K’eh provides as the only treatment centre in the Northwest Territories.

Madam Chair, I move that we report progress.

---Carried

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was a little disappointed by the final answer of the Minister of Health and Social Services and I still don’t believe that they’re going to tackle the issue. I’m going to ask him in this particular manner regarding the challenges of the detox and addressing those types of issues. What is the Minister willing to do differently this term that has not been done any other term, to move this file forward? I can assure you, addiction problems have not decreased; rather, they have increased in the Northwest Territories.

We are talking about investment in capital for further growth and we have to ask ourselves at the same time, is this good management of money. Ultimately it comes back to the question of good fiscal responsibility would look at this and ask these types of questions and allow the political types of decisions left up to the politicians. That said, it ties it all together. Then we make the decision on policy because we believe in them. Under fiscal and responsible point of view, what is to stop the Minister for asking the cost of these? If you want to invest in capital facilities, we need to...